Heritage et AL

Today, the Auckland Public Library is a modern center of learning, community connection, and  houses an abundance of books. Many of us see the library as a vital public necessity, something  justifiably funded through rates and other government revenue. Few would ever question our  right to access books for free. However, this wasn’t always the case. Similarly, the Auckland  Public Library occupies a purpose-built space that is both functional and conducive to learning  and connection. Again, this also wasn’t always the case. A central part of the story of the  Auckland Public Library lies in the growing recognition of the library as a place of importance,  and the changing role of the library throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Over a  series of four articles, I will explore key stages of development for our treasured Library. This  article starts at the beginning, and it will explore the Auckland Public Library’s early days, ...

  Image: Reading in bed at Alton Ave. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1207-0455. Photographer: Ronald Clark. Summer is upon us and are librarians are delighted to share what pukapuka moved them this year. Fellow research librarian Rin has asked the Central City Librarians and Research Librarians what pukapuka blew them away in 2025. The list suggested below have a local and global connection to Aotearoa. Most importantly, they are all available at Auckland Libraries for all of us to read.  E maru ina tau! Here are our offerings: Image: Cyclists reading at Aotea Square. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 273-PAG047-07. Photographer: Stuart Page. Tony Fomison: Life of the Artist by Mark Forman A lovingly produced, long overdue biography of painter Tony Fomison. A pity it lacks reproductions of his paintings, with their doom chord atmospheres - check out the holy, deep tomb rumblings of 'Study of Holbein's 'Dead Christ' at the Auckland Art Gallery - but is sti...

  Image: Cover illustration by Mike Hinge from Analog science fiction, science fact, April 1976. Explore the imaginative worlds of science fiction in this vibrant exhibition featuring books, magazines, comics and posters from Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. Science fiction allows readers and writers to imagine other worlds, whether they’re mind-bending, hopeful or downright terrifying.  Learn about the big ideas and publishing history of this expansive genre and immerse yourself in its incredible settings and eye-popping artwork. Trace themes and tropes from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to William Gibson’s Neuromancer, and discover the close connections between science fact and speculative fiction. Enjoy seeing early editions of your favourite works and be inspired to find your next read. The exhibition is open Monday - Saturday from February 19th - August 2nd, 2025, at Central City Library.  In this blog, you can listen to in-depth discussions with the curators w...

AA Milne (1882-1956), the author of the much beloved children's classic ' Winnie the Pooh ' was born on Sunday 19th 1882. The Aberdeen Journal published a glowing review (see below) of  'Winne the Pooh' when it first came out in 1926, referring to it as 'a book that all children will adore, and that their elders will pick up by stealth and read zestfully to the very end'. Ref: Article entitled 'Pooh Bear: A Delightful Milne Fantasy', The Aberdeen Journal, 1926, from The British Newspaper Archive As well as the wonderfully delightful tales by Milne, it is the evocative illustrations by the talented illustrator EH Shepard (1879-1976), which make Winne the Pooh such an enduring read. Auckland Libraries holds a number of different versions of Winnie the Pooh in the heritage collections and other related Pooh and friends stories illustrated by Shepard .You can also find out about the Bear Garden in Devonport, North Shore, which never contained ...

The 13 September was Roald Dahl Day. Each year, the focus of this day is on celebrating the life and work of Roald Dahl , one of the world's most popular and beloved writers for children. Ref: AWNS-19140122-52-4, picking friend at an orchard in Henderson, Auckland, 1914, Sir George Grey Special Collections Dahl's picture books, novels, short stories, poetry and memoirs are all classics and popular not only with children but adults too. His timeless works such as 'James and the Giant Peach' (1961), 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' (1964), 'Revolting Rhymes' (1982), 'Tales of the unexpected' (1980) and 'The Witches' (1983) are of enduring interest and relevance to all readers. Ref: 7-C1813, advertising poster for 'Somerdale Cube Block Milk Chocolate', made by Fry, c.1920-1949, Sir George Grey Special Collections Roald Dahl Day is a great opportunity to discover re-read a favourite or discover something you haven't...

During March 1840 Sarah Louise Mathew travelled by ship from Sydney to join her husband Felton Mathew in the Bay of Islands. He was acting Surveyor-General in Governor William Hobson’s party of officials and had just witnessed the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in February. Sarah (1805?-1890) had emigrated to Australia to marry her first cousin Felton in 1832. Her diary, begun on the voyage to New Zealand on March 2nd 1840, is held in the Sir George Grey Special Collections ( NZMS 79 ). It is one of a number of interesting documents written by both Sarah and Felton in the early years of settlement, which Professor James Rutherford researched in England and negotiated to add to the Library’s collection in 1940. Sarah’s journal is full of sharp observation, interesting speculation and some shrewd opinions on the people and places that were so new to her. However, one of her comments in the diary has always intrigued me. This is her entry for March 7th 1840: “This day being a li...

'Flowers, Fruit and Foliage', the latest exhibition from the Sir George Grey Special Collections has opened. The exhibition features botanical illustrations from the collections and runs from 29 November 2012 to 17 March 2013 at the Central City Library, 44 Lorne Street, Level 2. While pictures of plants in books are often produced as a practical guide for identifying useful, or common, or newly discovered species, the resulting illustrations can be beautiful works of art in their own right. The books in this exhibition were all chosen for their illustrations and date from 1578 through the great age of botanical illustration in the 18th and 19th century, to the wood engravings of the 1930s. The earliest book on display is a herbal printed in 1578, but there are many beautiful hand-coloured engravings from the 18th century, and very rich colour printed illustrations from the 19th.  Ref: 7-C1955, Sir George Grey Special Collections

The British Armorial Bindings Database   is now available online. This free database allows users to identify heraldic stamps used by owners to decorate their books. It has been published under sponsorship by The Bibliographical Society in conjunction with the University of Toronto .  Users can search for book owners using their family name, titular name, rank in the peerage, and by gender.  Around 12,000 books from around the world form the basis of this database. The database has great application for rare book librarians, book historians, book dealers, students of heraldry, genealogists, and coats of arms enthusiasts.  Ref: 4-7333, Sir George Grey Special Collections